“The Cask of The Amontillado” is not the short story you want to read to your child at bedtime. It is a creepy tale of a man who plots revenge on an acquaintance who has supposedly wronged him, a plot similar to other Edgar Allan Poe stories. This story is full of interesting characteristics such as hidden meanings, cunning dialogue between characters, and strange ironies, all assembled in a dark gothic setting. These details create an intriguing read, which is why this story needs to be analyzed to discover deeper meanings created in the mind of Poe and revealed in the lines of the story. The majority of the story takes place in an underground catacomb, somewhere beneath an Italian city, during the carnival season. It is about the interaction Poe masterfully interweaves clever and humorous ironies throughout the story. For example, when the characters are walking down the catacombs, Montresor pretends to act as if he cares about Fortunato 's ill health. This is ironic because he obviously knows that he is going to kill Fortunato. The toast that Fortunato offers is another example. He says, "I drink to the buried that repose around us" (224), having no idea that he is soon to be one of the reposed. Montresor also says, "It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation" (222). This is ironic because Montresor is determined to keep his real intentions well guarded behind a smile of friendship. He does not want to reveal any of his anger or true feelings to Fortunato. And one of the more obvious ironies is Fortunato 's name, which means Fortunate One in Italian. This is an ironical name for someone who will soon not be so One is Fortunato 's clothing that he will be wearing at his death. "The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells." (222). Fortunato was dressed in the style of a king’s fool or jester, a symbolic representation of the role he plays in the story. Another important symbol is the Amontillado wine itself. Montresor plays upon Fortunato 's pride of being a great wine connoisseur, and he tempts Fortunato with the imagined competition of a rival wine taster named Luchesi. It is unlikely that this fine wine is available in this quantity at this low a price during carnival season. The cask symbolizes that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Fortunato 's stubborn pride get him buried
The protagonists Montresor wants to get back at Fortunato for deeply insulting him and Montresor vows for revenge. During the fall carnival, he sees his opportunity and is quick to pounce on this and put his plan into place. “With Fortunato intoxicated and falling and stumbling all over the place Montresor knows that the time is now” (Russell 211). Montresor knows Fortunato’s weakness for wine and Montresor tells him he found Amontillado a very rare wine and it is in his vault. Montresor knows how far Fortunato will go for wine as rare as Amontillado and that is what eventually leads to his tormented and revengeful death. Edgar Allan Poe also gives lots of scenes that foreshadow to the future and the plotting about the death of Fortunato and the steps leading up to it. “The great example is putting Montresor into the future fifty years later telling the story and everything that went into the murder that he had committed” (Elliot 268). Poe depicts that revenge is very sweet and even fifty years later, that the deep gothic death and revenge themes still show up in Poe’s writings (Russell
As a story opens, an unnamed narrator first words says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”(164) Montresor who tells a story is taking revenge on Fortunato because he has suffered a “thousand injuries” although he never mentions exactly what happened. Edgar Allan Poe creates a perfect crime in a murder story “The Cask of Amontillado” through the use of a character that exhibits characteristics of a psychopath, a horrifying plot and a dramatic irony.
In conclusion, “The Cask of Amontillado” has an eerie and suspension mood that is clearly shown through the dialogue and detail. The suspenseful mood keeps the reader on their feet. The dramatic and verbal irony used within the short story kept the story moving along and allowed the audience to understand the complexity of this revenge plot and what went through the mind of
Writers often use symbolism in the story to give a more vivid description rather than just saying, pictures are a perfect example. Symbolism is the art of using any object, place, name or anything that represents something rather
...Baraban, Elena V. "The Motive For Murder In ‘The Cask Of Amontillado’ By Edgar Allan Poe." Rocky Mountain Review Of Language & Literature 58.2 (2004): 47-62.
Edgar Allan Poe is a famous writer in writing detective stories and horror stories. One of his horror stories, “The Cask of Amontillado” was talking about how a man took his revenge to his friend. However, to look deeply in this story, I found that this story was not just simply a horror tale about how a man gets his revenge in the safest way. Instead, it also demonstrates much irony in several areas: the title, the event, the season, the costume, the environment, the characters’ personalities, a man’s dignity and cockiness and at the end, the public order. he are
Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most celebrated literary authors of all time, known for writing very suspenseful, dramatic short stories and a poet; is considered as being a part of the American Romantic Movement, and a lesser known opinion is he is regarded as the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. Most recognized for his mystery and macabre, a journey into the dark, ghastly stories of death, deception and revenge is what makes up his reputation. The short story under analysis is a part of his latter works; “The Cask of Amontillado”, a story of revenge takes readers into the mind of the murderer.
Russ,RJ.” Symbolism In edgar Allan Poe’s ‘ The Cask Of Amontillado’.” Yahoo Voices.Yahoo, Inc.,28 April 2008. Web.17 March 2014.
Edgar Allen Poe’s gruesomely fascinating tale of vengeance and murder, “The Cask of Amontillado”, achieves its effect only through its usage of the first person point of view. This unusual perspective enables the reader to view the characters and conflicts through the eyes of the narrator, as he first discusses and justifies, and eventually, carries out his plans for the ruthless murder of his friend. The eerie tone and disorienting and materialistically-related setting of the story contribute to its theme of defending one’s honor and name and avenging all wrongdoings, even something so small as an insult.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is a horror story about revenge and murder that occurred half a century ago. Through the haunting confession of the narrator, Montresor, the reader is able to feel what Fortunato had endured half a century ago. In this tale of revenge and murder the dark, damp, and bone-filled catacombs provide a contrast to life during the “madness of the carnival” (553).
The Cask of Amontillado uses a number of symbols throughout the story. Symbolism is what help convey the message that Edgar Allen Poe sends to his readers. The symbols that were used in the story were the names of Fortunado and Montresor, the title of the story, Fortunado’s conical cap, the setting, and the heraldry.
Poe’s first-person narration style in “The Cask of Amontillado” allows the reader to experience the story from a different level and the ability to look at the story from a different light. An unusual perspective. From the mind of a killer, the narrator and main character making him familiar with the reader. Poe focuses more of the thoughts and emotions of the main character rather than physical attributes of Montresor which made for a more intimately disturbing story for the reader.
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe is a short story told in the gothic genre. Although this story was written decades after the popularity of the genre, The gothic genre through its descriptions of the atmosphere as well as its use of grotesque and macabre imagery creates a sense of alienation, chaos, entrapment, uncertainty, and terror in the reader. Gothic literature often deals with themes of death, fears and anxieties, good vs evil, estrangement, and revenge. Furthermore, gothic literature often ends with a sense of moral closure and resolution. The Cask of Amontillado use of gothic conventions can be seen in its setting. However, the story’s unconventional use of irony and omission of moral closure adds to the psychological
The major characteristics of the narrator and main character, Montresor, are anger, hatred, and revenge. In the story, he is angry with Fortunato because he believes that Fortunato has wronged and insulted him many times by saying, “thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could…he ventured upon insult…” (Poe). In addition, Montresor’s hatred for Fortunato goes so far that he believes he must kill Fortunato. He mentions this in the story as, “[y]ou, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat” (Poe). He seems to say that his soul is made of hatred and goes on to say he must give Fortunato the utmost punishment: death. Montresor even shows traits of revenge when he says, “…but when [Fortunato] ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” and “...I would be avenged…” (Poe). He is saying that he will get revenge on Fortunato, whom he is angry with and hates for being insulted by.
Edgar Allan Poe's strong use of symbols throughout "The Cask of Amontillado" is what makes this story worthy of examination. The clever use of these devices by the author to shape this horrifying and gripping short story has made this piece be regarded as a classic American horror story, which revolves around the theme of vengeance and pride.